Country Affairs. Zara Stoneley

Gran bringing her up with the belief that one should always wear decent knickers, just in case one was run over, but whoever warned you that your beachwear should be up to the scrutiny of a half a dozen very sexy members of the Spanish Mossos?

      If it hadn’t been for her new best buddy, Pip, who had helped her cram everything into her rucksack, booked emergency plane tickets and escorted her all the way back to Tippermere, Lottie wasn’t sure what would have happened next in her life.

      Meeting journalist Pip Keelan in Barcelona had been a godsend. She was all the things Lottie wasn’t – organised and logical in everything, including her love life. The fact that she’d then actually decided to hang around and adopt Lottie’s home village as her own, and then proceeded to bring her own brand of fun and mayhem to Tippermere life was a source of constant amazement.

      It seemed that for Pip country life was the perfect antidote to the city living that had started to turn stale, and the fit men were a bonus. And the fact that she was semi shacked-up with the fittest farrier for miles appeared to suit her fine.

      ‘He is so, so fit. How come you know so many hot men, Lot’s?’ Tabatha’s wistful tone brought Lottie back to the present and she glanced at the teenager, who was gazing longingly after her rapidly disappearing horse and the careering quad bike. Then her gaze fixed on Rory, who was alternating between waving his fist and frantically grabbing at the handlebars as he rocketed off course.

      ‘I’m not sure this lawn will ever be the same again.’ Amanda Stanthorpe, owner of all she surveyed, joined them, but seemed more preoccupied with what had been an immaculate expanse of green, than the cause of the destruction.

      Agreeing to host the wedding at Folly Lake Manor had seemed the neighbourly thing to do, even if she did like everything neat and tidy. But Amanda did truly love the people she’d met in Tippermere and Kitterly Heath, and this had seemed the perfect way to thank them for everything they’d done for her.

      After the death of her billionaire husband, Marcus, they had made her feel part of the community and, in fact, had made her feel worth something again. From the loveable Lottie and daredevil Rory to the scheming Elizabeth. From the unprincipled Pip and the brooding Mick, to the gruff Billy and charming Tiggy, and from the perfectly handsome Tom to his outwardly difficult, but inwardly, sweet daughter, Tab, they were all like the family she wished she’d had.

      Even the glamorous, but warm-hearted and generous Sam and her charming footballer husband had supported her.

      And, of course, there was dear, reserved and very proper Dominic. Her husband. She loved them all, but she loved him most of all.

      And there was the crux of the matter, the main reason for hosting the wedding. It was a generous gesture of goodwill from Dominic, her husband, towards Billy Brinkley, the groom. Mending fences, building bridges.

      Dominic and Billy had been childhood friends, but affection had turned to hatred after Alexandra, Lottie’s mother, had died in a tragic accident. Both men had outwardly blamed each other, but inwardly carried a burden of guilt for something that neither was actually responsible for. And it had taken Lottie and her grandmother, Lady Elizabeth, to unravel the puzzle and make them see sense. Make them see that neither was to blame for the death of Alexa – Dominic’s sister, Billy’s wife, Lottie’s mother. Force them to acknowledge that hate and disapproval wouldn’t bring her back.

      Amanda sighed as all of a sudden the city girl in her, who she’d hoped had been quashed down, rose up in anguish. She loved Lottie, truly adored her, but the girl seemed doomed to a life of chaos and untidy disorder. And cavorting on horses was just not what she’d expected at this wedding, well at any wedding. Much as she’d tried to involve herself in equestrian life and appreciate the beauty of the massive animals, surely horses belonged in fields?

      ‘Are we getting on with this bloody ceremony? I need a beer.’ Billy’s blunt tones rang out into the shocked silence.

      ‘Sorry, Dad.’ Lottie gnawed on her bottom lip anxiously. It was very heroic of Rory to go after Todd like this. In fact, it was one of the most romantic things he’d ever done, but what if he caught him? ‘Er – doesn’t Rory have the wedding rings, though?’

      Billy ruffled his hand through his hair and winked at his bemused bride, Tiggy, who was waiting as patiently as the spaniel that was sitting beside her, a red ribbon tied to its collar in honour of the occasion. ‘You can always rely on our Lottie to make sure the occasion is a bit different, can’t you? Come on, love, let’s just get on with it, shall we? The lad will be back soon enough.’

      ‘But he’s your best man.’ Lottie could easily see the day she’d so carefully planned (well the day she’d done her best to sort out, and which Pip, Sam and Amanda had tactfully prompted her about when she’d forgotten things), ending up in a state of chaos. Everybody was looking at her expectantly, as the man she loved disappeared into the distance in hot pursuit of her bigamist ex. She didn’t know whether to be pleased that Rory seemed intent on upholding her honour and wreaking revenge on her behalf, or upset that at her first event as Lady of the Manor to be (or should that be Lady in Waiting?) he’d abandoned his duties as best man and disappeared in pursuit of a horse. Going after them wasn’t an option, was it?

      ‘I think I’ll go after my horse and, er, check everybody is okay.’ Tab observed, but nobody was listening.

      ‘He’ll be back in time for the beer, love. Never known Rory to miss a party. Right oh.’ Billy rubbed his hands together and nodded at the vicar, who after a little hesitation decided to carry on where he’d left off. Lottie glanced back in the direction of the Equestrian Centre, which was where Merlin (irrespective of any rider intentions) was heading, then turned her attention back to her father. She was, after all, supposed to be responsible for arranging his marriage to the scatty Tiggy Stafford. And up until this point in the ceremony it had been going reasonably well, considering.

      Organisation wasn’t her strong point, unless it involved horses and getting ready for a competition. That she could handle brilliantly, but managing events was different altogether, and it was so easy to get distracted. But she’d done this because she knew she had to. Discovering that she was the rightful heir to Tipping House Estate, not Uncle Dominic as she’d always assumed, had been a bit of a shock. Well, it had been a major shock.

      It had all seemed a bit unreal, until Dom and Amanda had married, and he’d had less time for his caretaking duties. She had to get ready to take over the reins, he’d said (repeatedly, in his stern looking-down-his-aristocratic-nose way). To be fair, he’d spent an awful lot of time encouraging and helping her and she wanted to take over. She really did. She was far too independent to be on a lead rein and even before Lady Stanthorpe had dropped the bombshell, she’d known she belonged here. This place was part of her, she loved every shabby inch of it, and she really thought that Uncle Dominic was being a bit too much of a fussy mother hen. So she’d been determined to prove to him, and to herself, that she was more than capable of being Lady of the Manor. Of organising stuff. And organising her father’s wedding had seemed a perfect opportunity. And once Uncle Dom saw how brilliant she was, maybe he’d stop looking over her shoulder and trust her.

      She sighed. Well, that had been the plan. And it had been going splendidly. Until Todd had arrived. A few months ago she might actually have been pleased to see him, but things were different now. She was different – her life had moved on.

      ‘Certainly. Right, I er…’ The Very Reverend Waterson straightened his dog collar and cleared his throat, waiting for the guests to settle. ‘Ah, yes, we were, hmm…’

      Lottie stared at the vicar. He actually seemed to be enjoying himself, which was a first. Maybe becoming a Very Reverend, as opposed to a Reverend, had cheered him up. Promotion was good for everybody, she supposed, even if you were never actually going to get the top job in his line of work.

      ‘If any of you can show just cause why they may not be lawfully wed, speak now or else forever hold your peace.’ He smiled. Paused. ‘I charge you both, here in the pre—’

      ‘I do.’ Tiggy spoke for the first time, her soft voice singing out into the